In light of the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, it is imperative to understand the origin of this virus. Previously, such pandemics were often a result of the spread of viruses such as H1N1, H5N1, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), among others.

An increased usage of digital tools, including smartphones and wearables, among others, has led to an expansion in collected health information.

The health data gathered by these devices also includes biomarker-related data — objective signals that are medically relevant and can be highly insightful for formulating treatments for patients, especially those who are suffering from chronic diseases.

Every news service globally is focused on COVID-19 (the “coronavirus”) and how it will affect the global population, but what of the Chinese health system itself? How does this sector operate during “normal” times? What will drive and restrain Chinese health markets?

These are some of the questions we have been looking at over the past 6 months.

Organ-on-chips (OOCs) are small plastic devices with biocompatible microfluid chambers containing multiple live human cells in a 3D culture that stimulate key physiological functions of body organs. The organ-on-chip market has grown 70.5% since 2015, reaching nearly $41.6 million in 2019, according to a report by The Business Research Company.

Global stocks fell on Monday, with declines in all 11 sectors of the S&P 500, as concerns grew over the rising threat of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus outbreaks have disrupted global supply chains linked to China. According to The Wall Street Journal, some economists estimate that a prolonged Chinese shutdown could cost up to $1 trillion in lost manufacturing output.

Every year several new drugs enter the pharma value chain. The launch of a new therapy or drug means a new treatment option for the patient pool and advancement in people’s quality of life.

The demand for global pharmaceutical packaging reached an estimated $94.2 billion in 2018, according to new research and analysis from The Freedonia Group’s comprehensive study Global Pharmaceutical Packaging.

According to a report from The Business Research Company, the cold chain logistics market, which moves biologics, is growing faster globally than the non-cold-chain logistics market, which transports small molecule drugs. Between 2012 and 2018, the cold-chain logistics market more than doubled in size, while the non-cold-chain logistics market grew by only 36% in comparison.

According to Advances in Biopharmaceutical Technology in China, 2nd Ed, a report from BioPlan Associates, China is making strides in raising its Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) standards as it works to improve its global profile. GMP biopharmaceutical manufacturing has a short history in China, with the first version of guidance issued in 1998. In 2010, China's Ministry of Health released its fourth version of China GMP, with this iteration significantly raising the standards to be met by domestic biopharmaceutical developers.

The total U.S. weight loss industry hit a new peak in 2018, growing 4% to $72 billion. The largest diet companies are shifting direction and changing ownership as Weight Watchers rebrands itself to its new name WW and focuses more on wellness, Jenny Craig is up for sale, NutriSystem gets acquired by Tivity Health, and Slim-Fast is acquired by Glanbia, a multilevel marketing firm.